Defiance
by Nixia
Summary: Elena's plan of force-feeding Katherine the cure took a complete turn for the worst. Now human once again she must learn to comply with the wishes of her captor whose desire for freedom was imminent.
1. Chapter 1

Katherine clawed her doppelganger's eyes, temporarily blinding her vision. She took advantage of the brief opening and shoved the cure down her throat and watched as Elena fell to her knees in pain as blood dripped from her mouth. The feeling was so intense, Elena felt her consciousness slowly start to slip away.

When feeling her strength, quickly leaving her, Elena clenched her fists in refusal to accept her failure. 'It wasn't supposed to end like this,' she thought in disbelief as she began pounding the floor with her fists.

Katherine watched in amusement as her doppelganger struggled to remain conscious. Never did she imagine that Elena would seek her out and attempt to fight her alone. The mere reality of her actually doing so was enough to bring forth a sense of great delight.

"Have a nice human life, Elena," Katherine sneered in triumph.

The last thing Elena heard before darkness consumed her was a vile chuckle that echoed throughout the school hallway.

* * *

><p>Happiness. Such was the expression to best describe how Katherine Pierce was feeling. After five-centuries of running from Klaus, her desire for freedom was imminent with the impending delivery of her now-human doppelganger.<p>

Katherine was certain Klaus would grant her his pardon, which was something she desperately yearned for.

"Where are you taking me!?" Elena suddenly yelled at her captor.

Katherine rolled her eyes in annoyance and looked at Elena who was in the passenger seat of the vehicle, she had hoped her doppelganger would've remained unconscious so that she could have a peaceful drive, but of course nothing goes according to plan these days.

"Wouldn't you like to know, princess," Katherine mocked, tapping her fingers against the car steering wheel.

Elena narrowed her eyes at Katherine, it was clear she wasn't gonna get an answer. She leaned back against the seat, folded her arms over her chest and sighed at recent events. Blinded by hatred and rage, she sought out Katherine in hopes of revenge, though taking on a five-hundred year old vampire alone had been quite foolish on her part.

"Stop the car and let me out, Katherine!" The vampire merely smirked in response.

When noticing the sly grin plastered on Katherine's face, Elena took that as a sign for no. She reached out and took hold of the steering wheel in hopes of pulling the car over, but Katherine's quick reflex prevented her from doing so. She looked down at the bruise forming on her wrist in shock, she hadn't been injured since her days as a human.

"What's going on?" Elena asked, giving Katherine a perplexed expression.

Katherine quirked an eyebrow in amusement when realizing her doppelganger has yet to register her transition back to a human. Her mouth opened for a response, but instead surprised Elena when she broke into a fit of giggles. The oblivious look Elena was giving her only served to further amuse the vampire.

"When ingesting the cure, you became human, Elena." Katherine replied. "If you want my expert opinion on the matter, you're better off as one. The world doesn't need two vampires that still cling to their humanity."

Elena's eyes widen slightly when taking in what was said and it got her thinking. Being human once again is what her friends had wanted for her. They all took time off from their lives to pursue a cure she didn't even want. To make matters worse, when the cure was finally in her possession she had _tried_ to force it down Katherine's throat instead of drinking it like her friends had wanted.

She cast a wary glance at the driver of the vehicle. Was Katherine planning on killing her? She didn't know if she would be able to endure the feeling of uncertainty for long.

With a quick look to the passenger seat, Katherine groaned in mild irritation when noticing her doppelganger fidget. "Relax. You're worth more to me alive," she answered the unspoken question troubling the human.

Elena huffed as relief washed over her. Thankfully, her life still meant something to her evil counterpart. When giving the vampire another look-over, she rolled her eyes at the smug grin present on Katherine's features; she could only begin to imagine the things going on inside Katherine's head.

"Stefan and Damon will find me!" Elena shouted, glaring daggers at her kidnapper. Her statement elicited a chuckle from the vampire.

Katherine had no doubt her doppelganger spoke the truth; the Salvatore brothers will come for their precious Elena, but first they would have to find them and that she wouldn't make easy on them. Katherine squinted at the upcoming sign informing her that she was now leaving Mystic Falls.

The young brunette visibly paled as reality began to set in; she was human and being taken away against her will. She doubted she'd ever get to see her friends and loved ones again, especially an icy blue-eyed man. For the past few weeks it had come to her attention that there was a connection between her and Damon. After several days questioning her very own sanity, she'd come to acknowledge the feelings she held for the older Salvatore.

Today was supposed to be _her_ day. After force-feeding Katherine the cure, she was going to confess her love to the raven-haired Salvatore. However, things took a complete turn for the worst. Caroline, Stefan, Bonnie and Matt, she never got to thank them for being such great friends.

And then, there was her little brother...

Her cheeks glistened with tears when remembering her brother's death, and the person responsible for said death was sitting right beside her. Both her hands balled into fists while her teeth clenched tightly together in anger, internally wishing she was a vampire again when realizing how powerless she now was compared to the other brunette.

"Why?" Elena asked in a low audible voice.

Katherine's ears pick up the question and one of her eyebrows raised in confusion. "What?"

Elena unfastened her seat belt and shifted in place so that she was giving Katherine her full attention. "Why did you kill my brother?" she asked in a monotone voice.

The vampire in question stayed silent, unsure of what to say, she knew this was gonna be asked sooner or later.

"Why did you kill my brother?" The human inquired once again with growing exasperation. Katherine is the reason she no longer has any family. Aunt Jenna was killed due to her betrayal and now Jeremy was gone as well. Her body began to shake as an uncontrollable rage surged through her being, and she continued staring at the vampire, eagerly awaiting her response.

While she did force-feed Jere Bear to the immortal, she didn't kill him. "Technically, it was Silas," Katherine corrected, trying to stay focused on the road. Her peripheral vision picked up small movements in the passenger seat, but was too late to react as Elena grabbed the steering wheel and crashed them into a large tree.

After several hours of being unconscious, Katherine's eyebrows fluttered and her eyes opened slowly as she recovered from the _unfortunate_ incident. Her gaze lingered towards the passenger seat, hoping to see her doppelganger, but was met with nothing. She noticed the hole in the front window of the car as if someone went through. Startled by this she quickly unfastened her seat belt and hobbled towards the front of the vehicle.

And sure enough, Elena was leaning on a tree for support, with a trail of blood trickling down her forehead, glaring at her with undefined hatred. She looked as if she wanted to say something, but instead decided to reserve whatever strength she had left.

Remembering Elena was no longer a vampire, Katherine had to resist the strong urge to snap her neck for putting them through that. Although Elena did have every right to feel the way she did towards her. Now that she thought about it, her doppelganger's last two relatives were dead because of her.

Katherine sighed in annoyance as she used her nails to prick a small hole on her wrist, afterwards offering the exposed wrist to the human in hopes of healing and relieving her injuries.

Elena was confused by the sudden gesture and wondered why the sassy brunette would want to help her. After all, she did intentionally cause their accident.

She peered into Katherine's eyes silently debating her next course of action. She knew for certain Katherine had ulterior motives, and not knowing what they were further managed to plague the confines of her mind.

Elena was brought out of her thoughts with a sudden groan from the vampire who waited patiently for her compliance. Without wasting anymore time, she began drinking Katherine's blood in small quantities. Her eyes widened, ever-so-slightly when savoring the delectable blood that seeped through Katherine's wrist. Now, she'd fed on the Salvatore brothers on numerous occasions, but Katherine's blood had a distinctive taste in which surprisingly allured her.

When hearing a moan escape Katherine's lips, Elena pulled away from the wrist and stared at the vampire in shock. She cocked her head and wondered if her ears were playing tricks on her. But upon noting the stunned expression on Katherine's visage, her lips curled up and she allowed an awkward smile for this situation.

Katherine's eyes remained wide-open, while her mouth opened and closed, trying to come up with an excuse as she realized her careless error. "Th-There's a bar a few miles up the road," she said, having trouble keeping herself composed. It didn't help that her doppelganger was staring at her like she grew a second head. "And wipe that smile off your face, little girl!" she snapped.

Needless to say, Elena obliged, not wishing to incur the vampire's wrath.

* * *

><p>When arriving at the bar Elena noticed there were a handful of young guys giving her and Katherine quizzical stares. She rolled her eyes when some of the young men whistled and applauded in their direction. One of the guys even went a step further by getting down on his knees and worshipped them as the hottest set of twins to ever set foot in the place.<p>

Elena sighed and looked over at the vampire who seemed to be enjoying the welcoming atmosphere. The praise was no doubt getting into Katherine's head and boosting her already high ego to even further heights. Before she could get her attention, the vampire was pulling three guys towards the restroom, causing her lips to curl up in disgust with Katherine's sinful actions.

The human took a seat in one of the booths and waited patiently for the vampire's return. A few minutes had gone by and she considered going into the restroom to see if everything was alright. Her eyes widen when realizing now would be the perfect opportunity for her to escape. With newfound resolve, Elena raced for the back door of the bar, ignoring the looks of lust being shot her way.

When leaving the bar, she found herself within an alley between two buildings. As the human walked through the dark, narrow passageway, she felt hope flare within her. She was gonna get as far away as possible from Katherine.

Just as she was about to exit the alley, two men stood at the entrance and slowly started walking towards her. Deciding to go back into the bar she turns on her heels, but was met with another guy whistling at her. "Look what we have here, boys!"

"No tits or ass, but I can work with that," one man sneered, prompting the others to laugh as they surrounded Elena.

"Ouch!" a familiar husky voice feigned being hurt. "I take offense to that," she snarled.

All present turned their attention to the newcomer. "Well, you guys can start with me; if you promise you'll be gentle." she bit her bottom lip seductively.

The three men averted their eyes from Elena and gave Katherine their full attention. They each were captivated by her beauty and the self-confidence that radiated off her. But they wouldn't dwell on their thoughts much longer as the curly-haired brunette suddenly vanished from sight.

Much to Elena's horror, Katherine reappeared with a sadistic grin etched over her face and the hearts of each of the men in her hands. Her brief glimmer of hope was replaced with sudden fear.

The vampire tossed the hearts away, licked the blood off her fingers, and shrugged in girlish fashion. "Tch, probably should have taken my rings off," she mused aloud.

Elena glanced down the dark alley and briefly considered making a run for it, but quickly decided against it since she doubted she would be able to outrun Katherine. She reverted her attention back to the vampire and felt nervous when noticing she was being scrutinized.

Chuckling, Katherine sauntered down the narrow passageway, over to her doppelganger. "By any chance, you weren't trying to put distance between us, were you?" she asked with a slight tilt of her head.

"This is kidnapping," Elena muttered with pleading eyes, hoping her look-alike would have a change of heart.

Katherine grinned at her, wry and amused at the same time. "Oh sweetie, don't think of it that way; I prefer to think of this as family bonding time," she smirked.

Elena frowned, her gaze wandering towards the end of the alley once again and back to her kidnapper. "Please let me go, I won't say anything, promise."

The vampire tilted her head in wonder. Her human counterpart was beginning to get on her nerves, and she needed a way to punish her without putting her life in danger.

"Place your hands on the wall and spread your legs," the vampire ordered, snorting mischievously at the sudden idea.

"Excuse me?" Elena asked, thinking she heard wrong.

Katherine's lips curved upwards in a slow, sarcastic smile and she stepped around the worried human, confusing her furthermore. "Place your hands on the wall and spread your legs; I won't ask nicely again."

The human's heart rate increased exponentially at the odd request. Fearing for her safety, she complied. Her legs slowly but surely spread open as she placed her hands on the graffiti stained walls and awaited further instructions.

She was surprised when a set of hands suddenly enveloped her waist in a soft embrace, as if searching for something. It frightened her and made her feel somewhat uncomfortable within Katherine's grasp, but knew there wasn't anything she could do.

As if things couldn't get anymore awkward, her eyebrows scrunched up in confusion when her ears suddenly pick up the sound of Katherine sniffing her hair.

Oh god, why was this happening to her?

When the vampire's arms freed themselves from her waist, Elena inwardly sighed, thinking Katherine's strange behavior was over. However such thoughts disappeared as quickly as they appeared when she saw Katherine from the corner of her eyes, unbuckling her belt.

"Katherine, what are you..."

_Smack!_

Elena blinked, and then blinked again when realizing what just happened. Quickly, her eyes began to widen as she slowly turned around and stared incredulously at the vampire, too shocked to voice any words.

Katherine scowled as she reached out and pressed her doppelganger back against the wall. "Turn back around!" she growled fiercely from being interrupted. "And keep your hands on the wall!"

Once again, Elena turned around, placed her hands on the wall and spread her legs. Her bottom stiffened in fear of what was to come.

_Smack!_

"Ow!" Elena cried out in pain.

_Smack!_

Elena opened her mouth but nothing came out. She looked over her shoulders at Katherine with tears threatening to fall.

_Smack!_

"Ow!"

With her mouth agape at Katherine's strange actions, Elena's facial cheeks flushed red in embarrassment as she rubbed her bottom softly.

"I said keep your hands on the wall!" Katherine shouted at her defiance. She reached out and shoved the human's head back against the wall. She was very tempted at the idea of compelling her doppelganger's obedience, but knew that if she did, it would take the fun out of it.

With her head pressed roughly against the wall, Elena yelled, "I hate you!"

Katherine placed her chin on the human's shoulder and chuckled quietly. "That's okay, honey; you'll love me soon enough. And for the record, I happen to think we have cute little butts," she whispered huskily in her doppelganger's ear and proceeded to lay a resounding smack across Elena's behind, eliciting a moan from the human.

The vampire's eyes twinkled when hearing the involuntary moan escape her doppelganger. The mere thought of the human enjoying her punishment was a real shocker.

Katherine raised the belt once more. In response, Elena tensed and looked to be waiting for the inevitable contact.

_Smack!_

"Ow!"

"This spanking you experienced was punishment for you crashing our car. Now, let's go; it's beneath us to be in such a place." Katherine walked away with a sway to her hips. She looked over her shoulder and smirked playfully at Elena, gesturing the doppelganger to follow her back into the bar.

Elena nodded, in an effort to be strong, to hide her tears, but the attempts were in vain. More unwanted tears gushed from the corners of her eyes as she bit her lip to stifle her sob. Now wasn't the time to cry. She wouldn't give Katherine the pleasure of watching her break down.

Not wishing to invoke further rage from the vampire, Elena limped over to Katherine, wiping away any traces of tears on her features.

* * *

><p>After compelling herself another vehicle, Katherine was back on the road searching for a place to rest up for the night. The whole reason for stopping at the bar was so that she could feed and regain her lost strength from when Elena fed on her.<p>

She looked over to the passenger seat and sighed; Elena had been very quiet throughout the ride. She pondered whether the spanking had the effect she intended it to have. Her doppelganger needed to know there would be repercussions for her actions, so in no way did she regret her method of choice.

However, she would be lying if she were to doubt the strange feeling of satisfaction she received when disciplining her human counterpart.

It was exhilarating to say the least.

She fixated her attention to a small Inn on the side of the road, and yawned tiredly as she pulled over.

When entering their bedroom, Elena sighed when she noticed there was only one bed. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Katherine, who simply glared in response.

"Oh my god, Elena, you make it seem like I enjoy your company." Katherine groaned. "I'll take the bed; you can have the couch."

Elena continued staring at Katherine with a look of uncertainty. During the car ride she had a tough time comprehending the event in which transpired recently.

Was she really just spanked?

The punishment itself was unfamiliar to her since she had never given her parents a reason to outright discipline. She was acquiescent by nature and always did what they asked of her.

She hated the foreign feeling in her gut telling her to comply with Katherine's commands. For if she did obey, maybe she would get out of this alive.

One thing was certain; the vampire's earlier actions greatly surprised her.

Katherine rolled her eyes at the human who stood frozen at the entrance of the room. She pointed her finger towards the couch and watched as her doppelganger obediently nodded her head, surprisingly complying, without complaint.

However, Elena still kept a wary eye on the vampire as she shrank away, absentmindedly covering her bottom.

When reaching the couch, Elena wrapped herself up in the blanket Katherine tossed at her. She closed her eyes and prayed this was all a nightmare; but the aching feeling on her bottom told her otherwise.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Elena awoke with a groan as the sunlight shined upon her face. She opened her eyes and glared at the sun's rays entering the room through the blinds. She got up and gave a drawn out yawn as she stretched. Suddenly, memories of the previous night came rushing and reminded her of the current predicament.

In denial, she frantically looked around the room, searching for any evidence that last night had happened.

Her eyes landed on the bed at the corner of the room and immediately her heart beat rapidly increased when noticing her look-alike sprawled out on the mattress snoring away with a peaceful look gracing her features.

She frowned, folding her arms over her chest. This was in fact reality. Kidnapped on the same day her graduation was to take place.

How could this have happened to her?

She felt her anger rise, giving her an expression of fury as she clenched her fists. She was abducted and being forced to go along with whatever scheme Katherine has in store for her.

Elena was brought out of her train of thought with a low groan of her stomach, reminding her that as a human it's important to have the most important meal of the day: breakfast.

Deciding to think of her plight more at another time, she struggled on whether she should wake her kidnapper or simply go out on her own.

Shaking her head of the idea, she sighed. No doubt Katherine would track her down and assume she was attempting to escape her grasp. She needed to play it safe, which meant it was safer to just rouse the vampire from her sleep.

"Katherine, wake up," she voiced sweetly over from the couch. Mentally, the human was trying to calm herself, trying to quell the anger that was still raging within her.

The vampire grunted in response as she shifted in bed and proceeded to inhale and exhale in low snores. If it weren't for her sly, selfish, and manipulative tendencies, she would've fooled anyone into believing she was innocent.

With her mind set, Elena quickly set her course towards Katherine's bedside and gently shook her arms in an effort to awaken the sleeping brunette. However, such action proved to be in vain as the vampire expertly rolled on her other side and mumbled something along the line of 'more minutes'.

Seeing no other option available, Elena slowly placed her knees on the bed, hovered over the vampire's sleeping visage and began to jolt Katherine's arms a little rougher than before. "Katherine, wake up, I'm hungry," she murmured softly.

"Someone can't keep their hands to themselves," Katherine muttered with a slow glance at the human. "If you wanted to experience the pleasure of feeling another woman's body, all you had to do was ask." She purred with a small grin in place.

Elena's cheeks warmed into a brilliant shade of red when hearing the sudden accusal. Her first natural instinct was to deny the accusation, but when taking notice of her current position on the bed, she truly understood why Katherine had said what she said.

"N-No! Y-You got it wrong!" she stammered. "This is just a misunderstanding!" Elena shouted, quickly getting off the mattress and onto her feet.

Katherine rolled her eyes and groaned, clearly too sleepy to take advantage of her flushed doppelganger. "It's too early to be yelling; go back to sleep."

The human shook her head stubbornly. "No, I'm hungry," she stated, crossing her arms over her chest in a obstinate manner. "You forced the cure down my throat, now take responsibility for my human needs."

"Dammit," Katherine swore under her breath, unhappy with being abruptly awoken by her annoying doppelganger. "Fine. I'm gonna go take a shower," she mumbled.

As Katherine walked towards the restroom, she looked over her shoulder at Elena, and while she gave the impression of being miffed at having to babysit her, inside she was overjoyed knowing Klaus would soon grant her his pardon.

With her doppelganger in her possession, she could almost taste the everlasting sweet joy of freedom.

Elena sighed when she heard the shower running. She plopped herself down on the couch in which she slept on, and turned the television on. Her fingers fiddled with the remote as she went through many different channels, trying to find something to take her mind off her current plight.

_This is Channel 4 breaking news!_

_The townsfolk of Woodstock, Virginia are in an uproar with the discovery of three bodies within an alleyway of their local bar. And get this... the victims' hearts were found a few feet away from their bodies!_

_Police on the scene advise the people of this small town to stay indoors and lock your homes._

_There's a murderer at large._

Elena paused the remote and stared at the television intently. She was transfixed by the images on the screen; three bodies lay motionless in the alley she was in last night.

It dawned on her; three men were dead because of her.

No. Those men were killed by her psychopathic look-alike, not her. She scowled, folding her arms over her chest. Though their intentions disgusted her, they were still people at the end of the day.

Ten minutes later, Katherine stepped out of the bathroom, rubbing a towel through her dripping hair. Her eyes narrowed at the still form of her doppelganger and briefly wondered how long she would have to watch over her. It wasn't that Elena was tough to handle, more like she had other things she would rather be doing.

She cleared her throat to get the human's attention.

Turning around, Elena saw Katherine leaning on the restroom door frame with that same sly smile she always wore. If she hadn't seen it before, she would have been unnerved just looking at the smile.

"You are out already?" Elena asked, watching as the vampire walked over to the couch she sat in.

"Don't sound so upset, cutie." Katherine leaned in close to the human with her hands on her hips and whispered, "If you want we can both go in there and take turns watching... I mean, washing each others backs," she teased with a mischievous grin.

Elena fidgeted uncomfortably with Katherine invading her personal space. While her cheeks were tinted red in embarrassment, she leaned back on the couch, lifting up her legs and she hugged them into a tight ball.

The vampire's bottom lip pouted as she frowned. She expected her doppelganger to say _something_, not curl up in a ball. But Elena's blush didn't go unnoticed. And that gave her something to work with.

"So," Katherine began, grinning madly at the thought of having a bi-curious doppelganger. "Did you like the feel of another woman's body?" she asked, looking straight into the human's eyes.

Elena's brow twitched in annoyance. "I told you it was a misunderstanding!" she yelled, frustrated Katherine has yet to drop the topic. "I was simply waking you up!"

"What of last night's moan?" Katherine inquired, her grin not faltering in the slightest. "Hmm, if I didn't know any better I'd say you're a masochist." If anything, her grin seemed to increase in utter amusement.

"It was an involuntary moan!" Elena quickly defended herself. She rolled her eyes, inwardly deciding that an explanation would be pointless. "Are you ready now?" she asked, eager to change the conversation.

"Don't change the subject, I want an answer," Katherine demanded, twirling a stray curl, much to her doppelgangers irritation. It truly fascinated her how easy it was to get under Elena's skin.

'Katherine...' In an instant, the vampire tilted her head up, meeting a familiar set of doe eyes. Her eyes widen when taking note of the dress her other-self sported. She vaguely remembered wearing it back in 1492 Bulgaria.

'If you go through with your plans, you'll regret it.'

'Are you threatening me!?' Katherine snapped. 'Who the hell do you think you are!?'

'Must you really ask?' The apparition smiled sadly as she sauntered over to the vampire, '_I'm you_.' Katerina whispered into Katherine's ear, afterwards disappearing into thin air, leaving a baffled vampire behind.

"Katherine?" Elena spoke when noticing the spaced-out look in which suddenly appeared over the vampire's visage.

She did not receive a response.

Glowering slightly, Elena elbowed the vampire in the ribs, causing the sassy brunette to gasp and look at her in surprise.

"What caught your attention so much that you were ignoring me for several seconds?" Elena asked, visibly curious, if the cocking of her head was a sign of an indication.

Katherine's stared blankly at her doppelganger, internally wondering if the human had honestly not seen what she had. If she weren't so deep in thought, she would've reprimanded the human for elbowing her.

Elena rolled her eyes and sighed. "Great, you're ignoring me again, aren't you?"

As Katherine began walking towards the door, she looked over her shoulder and blew her doppelganger a kiss. "You coming or not?"

* * *

><p>Down on all fours, Elena was cleaning up the mess she created when she smacked the french fries off the table in anger.<p>

"You missed one."

"I'm trying!" Elena snapped, gritting her teeth in barely restrained frustration as she glanced over her shoulder and glared at the vampire, who oddly, seemed more focused on her behind.

Snorting, Katherine couldn't help but giggle as she winked and said, "I stand by what I said yesterday; we do have cute butts," she voiced in an husky tone and proceeded to give her doppelganger a slap on her rear.

"K-Katherine!" Elena yelped in shock, too stunned to do anything but scowl at the vampire who was giving her a roguish smirk. "Don't do that," she muttered, trying her best to keep her anger in check. She didn't want a repeat of yesterday's punishment.

"But you agree with me, don't you?" Katherine chuckled, which turned into a laugh at the blush that covered the human's face. She genuinely enjoyed getting a rise out of her doppelganger.

It was innocent reactions like these that caused Katherine's eyes to sparkle with morbid curiosity. The mere thought of her flustered doppelganger was enough for her to acknowledge the small sense of anticipation welling up inside her.

Though it was faint, it was there. She wanted to get to the bottom of Elena's prudish behavior.

"Wait here, I have to use the little girls room," Katherine winked.

Elena rolled her eyes, but the tension in her frame was noticeable. "Oh? What's stopping me from running?"

Katherine merely shrugged, as if daring her to try. "Be right back, so stay here in this booth."

"You've got a lot of nerve calling me, Katerina. Tell me why I shouldn't have your number traced and kill you for all the trouble you've caused me?"

"I have something you want."

Klaus's eyes narrowed instantly. "I don't want anything you have to offer, love. Now be a doll and turn yourself over to me so we can finally end this ridiculous chase."

Katherine rolled her eyes and replied, "I shoved the cure down my doppelganger's throat; now she's a human, which means more hybrids for you."

There was a long silence over the phone.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Klaus asked, skeptical of the nature of the phone call. Was Katerina perhaps playing a trick on him? No, the girl wasn't foolish enough to contact him with false information.

Katherine slumped a little in relief. "Looks like you'll just have to take my word for it, right?"

"It would seem..." He growled. "I'm in Mystic Falls at the moment and don't plan on leaving for another two weeks, though. I trust that won't be an issue?"

Katherine puffed out her cheeks as she digested this. "Two whole weeks?"

"I would hate to have to cut my time short with Caroline to fetch a vampire-turned-human doppelganger." He snarled.

"It won't be any trouble, Klaus. Just make sure you keep your end of the deal from our last negotiation, okay?"

"Yes, yes, you and your crazed obsession with freedom," Klaus growled over the phone. "I assure you it will be granted upon delivery." He informed.

"I will message you the location at the end of the second week, so please try to keep the girl safe."

"No worries, I won't let her out of my sight." Katherine replied, satisfying the hybrid's worries.

"Oh, and one last thing, love. I would prefer this conversation stays between us. Wouldn't do me any good if Caroline were to find out her dearest friend was within my grasp, now would it?"

"Well, my lips are sealed, toodles." Katherine voiced, thus ending the call, afterwards frowning in consideration. What the hell was she supposed to do with her doppelganger for two whole weeks?

"Hey!" Elena yelled, irritated, the ticked off expression on her face doing nothing to hide it. "You're giving me to Klaus!?"

Katherine blinked, and then scowled at her eavesdropping doppelganger who was at the entrance of the restroom. "I told you to wait inside the booth!" she shouted. "And yes I'm turning you over to Klaus two weeks from now," she snarled.

A flicker of frustration flashed across Elena's face. "You can't be serious!"

"When it comes to my freedom I'm dead serious." Katherine replied, glaring at her doppelganger.

"But-But he's a monster!" Elena shouted, disregarding the vampire's bad-tempered expression. "He's going to kill me!"

Katherine groaned in annoyance. "Oh my god, Elena; don't be so melodramatic. He only needs you as a blood donor to create more hybrids. Besides, I'm certain Klaus wouldn't jeopardize his relationship with Caroline by killing her bestie." she spat out the final word with distaste.

"You don't understand!" The human yelled, gripping her head in horror. "My brother and I killed Kol last week!"

The vampire's eyes widen slightly at that. That would explain Klaus's eagerness when she told him she had her doppelganger with her.

Oh well, who cares.

Katherine shrugged her shoulders, a gesture that reminded Elena an awful lot like Damon. "Not my problem."

Elena scoffed, rolling her eyes as if Katherine had reassured her earlier doubts, and then, in a sharp, quick movement, planted a slap across the unsuspecting vampire's face.

Katherine was taken aback at the sudden slap. Her hand came up and gently massaged the area, as she stared at her doppelganger in shock.

An awkward silence ensued with a mixture of emotions flashing over each of the brunette's features. They both didn't expect the conversation to escalate like this.

Elena scowled as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I-I have no intention of apologizing," she stated, trying to keep up a tough demeanor.

Katherine huffed a faint laugh, feeling no pain, even with the red hand print still fresh. "Just telling it like it is; you and Klaus's issues are not my problem," she spat out in a disdainful manner.

"For once stop thinking of yourself," Elena gritted out, casting her eyes upward to prevent any tears from falling. She had been a fool to believe that Katherine might have a change-of-heart.

"Go over to the sink and bend over," Katherine ordered, successfully bringing her doppelganger's attention back to her. Katherine then unbuckled her own belt.

Elena stood conflicted as her eyes wandered from the sink to Katherine. Of course her actions would once again get her into trouble. And it didn't help that, mentally, she wasn't prepared for another spanking.

Before Elena could refuse, both brunettes were shocked when they heard the sound of a toilet flush. They watched in silence as an elderly woman exited the restroom stall and proceeded to wash her hands, all the while giving Elena a sympathetic look.

"Just accept your punishment, child, and get it over with," the elderly woman voiced in a caring tone, much to Katherine's amusement.

Elena stared perplexed at the elderly woman. How could she be siding with Katherine of all people?

Katherine quirked a cruel smile as the elderly woman left the restroom. "You're my bargaining chip, Elena, nothing more," she informed her doppelganger.

"Tch, easy for you to say!" Elena shouted, before taking a deep, calming breath. "Of course you don't care what happens to me, as long as you get what you want," she muttered, walking over to the restroom sink and bending over, ready to accept her punishment.

Elena looked into the mirror over the sink she leaned on and glared at Katherine. "And it's because of your selfishness that you'll spend eternity alone!"

Katherine stared at the figure of her doppelganger for a long moment as she thought through what she had just heard. She was torn between fierce anger and the desire to actually murder her ticket to freedom.

But in doing so would ensure her inevitable death...

'No! I will survive!' Katherine inwardly reassured herself.

_Smack!_

"Ow!" Elena cried out in pain as she stared fiercely at Katherine's reflection. "You're a monster just like Klaus!"

Katherine stiffened upon hearing the accusation. To be honest, she had expected this from Elena. Always going on about how she's a monster with no morals and what not.

Tch, monster or not, she'd do _whatever_ it took if it ensured her living to see another day.

She craned her arm back and scowled back at Elena's reflection in the mirror.

_Smack!_

"Ow!"

Over the course of five centuries, she was forced to endure a strong feeling of despair. Often having to look over her shoulders for Klaus or his minions.

For the sake of survival, she had to change.

Kill or be killed had been the motto she took when changing her name from the once sweet, Katerina Petrova, to the sassy Katherine Pierce. The only way to avoid her motto was by running, which was something she had grown tired of doing over the years.

"You and your friends are always judging me! But have you ever stopped to ask yourself _why_ I'm like this? No. Of course you haven't. You assume I chose to be this way... when I didn't."

_Smack!_

"Ow!"

Katherine's anger began to slowly subside as she thought of Elena's earlier words, being replaced with a begrudging sense of acceptance. She couldn't deny the truth in them, no matter how desperately she wanted to.

Freedom at the cost of another life was the pinnacle of being selfish.

She knew that.

_Smack_

"Ow!" Elena shouted as tears brimmed in her eyes. "N-No more please."

But still... Katherine didn't care of the sacrifice. She spent so many years running, and for what? To just give up her impending freedom for her doppelganger who has everything she herself has ever wanted!?

Such as friends who could help ease the loneliness that resided within her!

_Smack_

"Ow!" Elena yelled as tears streamed down her face. "I-I'm sorry Katherine."

Katherine once again scowled. If the roles were reversed and Elena had spent five-hundred years on the run, would she still feel the same way about life?

Or would she give in to the temptation of one life for another just as she herself had done?

_Smack!_

"Ow!" Elena yelped as her cheeks glistened with tears. "N-No more."

Katherine frowned, and gazed at Elena's reflection in the restroom mirror, who was staring right back at her.

When hearing the belt fall from Katherine's hands, Elena quickly turned around and fell to her knees, hugging the vampire's legs, as if begging for the pain to cease.

However, Katherine's eyes remained focused on the mirror, continuing to stare at herself. It had been many years since she had gotten an actual look at herself.

And she felt disgusted with what she saw.

She was no longer the innocent girl from 1492 Bulgaria, who dreamt of becoming a proper lady. Circumstances in her life have forced her to see the world for what it truly was. Cruel.

She was certain her mama and papa would be ashamed of the woman she turned out to be; cruel, just like the world she lived in.

When hearing broken sobs, Katherine blinked herself back to reality, and then forcefully smirked at her own reflection in the mirror. Afterwards she looked down at her knees and saw Elena clinging to her with tears gushing out.

Katherine settled to watch silently as her doppelganger struggled to restrain her sniffles. She'd done her best to hide her shock, remain still, and let this run its course.

How do you comfort someone when you are the reason for their crying?

Perhaps she took things too far...

Before Katherine could stop herself, her hand reached out and petted her doppelganger's head affectionately. She gulped when Elena glanced upwards, meeting her gaze.

"I'm sorry Katherine, I-I didn't mean those things I said," Elena muttered, her hand absentmindedly rubbing Katherine's thigh. "I'm also sorry I slapped you..."

Katherine had made to reply, and Elena could swear that she had wanted to, that the response had been on the tip of her tongue, but the vampire closed her mouth and simply nodded.

It was better this way; she didn't want to say something she was gonna end up regretting the next day.

Elena smiled, happy her apology was accepted. She reached out and attempted to push a stray curl from the vampire's face, but was shocked when Katherine recoiled at the slight touch.

Their eyes had locked, both staring at one another, trying to decipher the others true intentions.

To Elena's surprise, Katherine visibly relaxed and even smirked a little. It was at this moment that Elena grew curious of the enigma that is Katherine Pierce.


End file.
